Thursday, September 13, 2012

Map of the Grey Bone Light

MAP OF THE GREY BONE LIGHT

A few months ago I posted this description and random table of small encounters/lairs on the "Grey Bone Shoal".  Below is the map of a lighthouse fortress affiliated with the ship eating menace to navigation - now a derelict. I may be using this map as the basis of an adventure for a contest, but since there is less than a week to finish I'm not sure if it'll happen.  It will be a good way to practice my original edition brevity so as not to make the 25 locations into a 50 page epic (like the Obelisk of Forgotten Memory).

I am seeking idea help about what might inhabit such a place.


One idea for the light centers around the concept of wreckers using the light to trick vessels into running aground and then slaughtering the crew and looting the wrecks.  Something will be in opposition to these wreckers, some force that wants the light to work.  I think ghouls or aquatic ghouls are the most obvious choice, inhabiting the tidal caves on the lower part of the fortress.  What lurks above I'm not sure - maybe phantom sailors - an inter-undead faction war could be fun, but ghouls are overused monsters.  Bandits, Deep Ones or something could be a goo replacement.  I've already decided that a nest of brine (water) weirds lives in the fountain at the bottom of the caves climbing free to hunt at high tide - that's more a trap than an encounter though.  I like weirds as an idea, nasty elemental animals that are hard to destroy because of their elemental properties - threw a random encounter "Rust Weird" at the Apollyon group last night and surprisingly they managed to defeat it.

Other ideas include making this a lair for some kind of dragon, a long serpentine thing that hunts from the Tower gallery and preys on shipping.  Maybe Black or Blue, and fairly young - most likely a unique mottled grey beast that breaths poison fog or despair or something. There are also "burning mirrors" of the Ancient Syracuse/Dadelus style as mounted siege weapons, but maybe only one will be working with the others providing obvious traps to avoid. 

I am unsatisfied with my thoughts on what lives in an abandoned lighthouse fortress though, so if any reader has ideas about what would lurk in such place let me know.  Unleashed trapped outsider entities or broken automaton soldiers might be good, maybe even bandits?  I just need some factions and undead are so overused.

6 comments:

  1. when in doubt steal from fiend folio
    but plenty of under used sea things in various versions of dnd

    kelpie FF though a more straight mythic version would be nice

    Sea hag MM
    Giant Snake, sea MM
    Selkie MM2 possibly trapped or bound
    were sharks? - flying sharks?
    marine versions of ogres and trolls

    dont give up on undead go weird
    undead mermaids
    undead fish men
    zombie pirates
    undead giant sea otters - grapple and split skulls with rocks on their bellies

    other things
    semi aquatic land urchin
    adorable baby dragon turtles - mom will hunt you if harmed
    marine dinosaurs trapped while young now trapped an mad

    very inspired by your page cheers!
    http://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com.au/

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    1. Glad you like reading my stuff - interesting Blog yours. Sea Hag is excellent and I like your dead otters. Must ruminate.

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  2. One of my favorite Doctor Who episodes took place in a lighthouse, Horror of Fang Rock: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horror_of_Fang_Rock

    I like having interactive environments - so never minding what monster ends up there, it would be cool if the light did weird "stuff".

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    1. A true lighthouse adventure for Dr. Who, and yeah interactive environments are good - I think you're a lot better at those kinds of architectural tricks and traps then me, but I've thought of a few for the light. The light most surely does weird stuff.

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  3. Almost 10 years later, I stumbled across your blog while searching for lighthouse maps.

    I'm about to run a one-shot tomorrow for a friend and his kids using your map. Under normal circumstances, it's manned by priests of a sun deity. Currently, a necromancer created and lost control of a flesh golem. The necromancer's zombie minions prowl the sea caves, while the golem has ascended the tower and killed the priests.

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    1. I hope you enjoyed the map - I never did run anything or write up more with it.

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